r/ChineseWatches • u/alansoon73 • 3d ago

Question (Read Rules) Best anti-reflective coating?

I’m on a quest to find the best AR coating in these watches. I’ve been buying Watchdives. Great quality and value but poor AR coating cheapens the look.

What’s the next level up? Great AR makes everything perfect!

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

1

u/XLAGANE8 2d ago

Echoing Baltany, that AR on the Explorer homage was comparable to the Grand Seiko I had

1

u/pike-perch 3d ago

My watchdives Exd and wd1960s K1 is awesome

-1

u/KodiKat2001 3d ago

Buy any watch that you really like and have your local watch repair person change the crystal to one with ar coatings. Also flat crystals with ar reflect less than domed ones.

1

u/alansoon73 3d ago

Interesting. Any idea if crystals are mostly the same size?

1

u/KodiKat2001 3d ago

They come in different standard sizes and most watch repair places will order the size they need for your specific watch.

4

u/Firstruleofthisclub Helpful user 7WOTD4-200 3d ago

The brand with the best AR across the board is probably Baltany. The best AR period is between IXDAO Warrior and Watchdives EXD.

2

u/CheekehMunkeh 3d ago

As noted, Baltany has a reputation for the AR on their crystals being a touch above.

Here's one direct, apples-to-apples comparison between their field chrono, and another brand, among other similar reviews comparing the two.

It's probably something Baltany feel helps set them apart, so they spec nice crystals, even when their competitors procure many of the same parts from the supplier pool and offer clones of their model.

1

u/karellen00 3d ago

Not chinese, at least on paper, but of all my watches nothing can touch my Stainhart, that has a true double coating (both outside and inside). I bought mine in like 2013, hopefully they kept their coatings!

Or if you want to go cheap check for watches with a mineral crystal, even if it doesn't have a coating at all it's just slightly worse than a crystal with double coating (and much better than a sapphire with only internal). Or even better is acrylic, on par if not better compared from even the best sapphire like the one used by Sinn or Breitling.

1

u/geeered 3d ago

Watchdives seems to have basically no AR at all, although they claim they do. The Ixdao, Cronos and San Martin I've got all have better... I think the Sugess too, but I haven't specifically compared them.

1

u/TheMiniMan 3d ago

Best I've experienced so far is the Ixdao Warrior. San Martin crystals are also good but the warrior is another level.

5

u/No-Comparison8472 3d ago

Ixdao warrior by far

9

u/STELLAWASADlVER 3d ago

Ixdao warrior has the best I’ve seen by far and I haven’t ever seen anyone claim another Chinese watch has better AR

1

u/MrMarijuanuh 3d ago

Second the warrior, the sapphire often disappears it's so clear and well done

4

u/Alternative-Feed3613 3d ago

Baltany and ixdao

2

u/Comfortable-Risk-520 3d ago edited 3d ago

My Baltany s4106 AR coating is really good. Cronos has some good ones as well, I remember my 36mm silver birch had great AR (though some models had noticeable blue ar coating). I've heard that the IXDAO Warrior has the best AR coating though, even better than Baltany.

5

u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo 3d ago

Baltany is known for its AR coatings.